Ch. 771..780
Life at the Top Chapter 771
Someone like this resembled the standard antagonist depicted in novels.
However, he was a winner in real life.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Todd. I’ve been hearing about you for a long time now,” Jasper smiled and extended his hand.
It was now Todd’s turn to be surprised. “Oh?” He asked.
Jameson, who was standing beside them, had a curious look on his face as well.
“I really enjoy watching movies. I remember that there was a movie that had been shot in your family’s hotel, and you made a cameo in it as well,” Jasper said.
This was a small snippet that not much people knew about even in future years. However, it was something that genuinely existed.
PlayvolumeAd5Todd burst out into laughter and said, “Mr. Laine, not many people know about this. However, you are right. I did have a cameo role, but I didn’t expect you to notice it.”
“I’m really observant toward details,” Jasper said jokingly with a shrug.
Todd’s appearance caused complicated emotions to rise up within Jasper.
After all, Todd was considered one of the most prominent figures that Jasper had met after his reincarnation. In the future, he would be someone that had the ability to directly affect global situations.
Nevertheless, Jasper did not pay too much heed this.
Ultimately, Todd’s future had nothing much to do with him.
In any case, the most he could do right now was to use this opportunity to get acquainted with him and leave a good impression on him.
That was all that he could do.
Jasper had no intention of participating in the United States’ future political arena. One could drown if they walked into deep waters.
As one of the top real estate developers in the United States, Todd’s conversation with Jasper attracted the attention of almost all the American guests.
“Mr. Laine, I’ve heard about what you’ve gone through as well. I think that Sena is a great investment opportunity,” Todd said.
Jasper smiled and replied, “Of course.
“Sena is the first domestic Internet company from Somerland to be listed on the Nasdaq after the Internet bubble burst. Its performance will largely affect the confidence of the other domestic Internet companies within Somerland as well.
“You must know that Somerland has reformed and opened up, therefore its rise was only a matter of time. In light of this, I can confidently say that Sena has great potential, both subjectively and objectively.”
“As far as Sena is concerned, it is the first Internet company that has truly achieved profitability instead of having to survive through capital injections from investors.
“Not only does it own Somerland’s top-ranking website portal right now, but it also operates the world’s second-largest online game. For a company like that, I really can’t think of any way it would make a loss.”
Plenty of people showed contemplative expressions after listening to what Jasper had said.
Todd smiled and said, “I believe your vision. Jameson, does Sena have any pre-IPO shares available for purchase?”
“My apologies, Mr. Todd. The pre-IPO shares have all been bought when Mr. Laine was back in Somerland,” Jameson said in a somber tone.
Everyone’s expressions changed immediately.
No matter how good a company was or how favorable it was to the public, it was unlikely for its shares to possess such huge demand before the IPO.
After all, this was a form of investment that was no different from gambling.
However, Sena had managed to sell out their pre-IPO quota a long time ago. The demand for its share seemed to far exceed its supply.
Noticing the regretful look in Todd’s gaze, Jasper chuckled and made a suggestion without thinking twice. “If you’re really interested in purchasing the shares, I can provide you with a special pre-IPO allocation of 10 million US dollars, Mr. Todd,” he said.
To Jasper, this was equivalent to sending money straight to Todd’s doorstep.
However, if he could manage to win Todd’s favor with a mere amount of 10 million US dollars, it would benefit him greatly.
“That would be excellent,” Todd said. His gaze warmed as he stared at Jasper and replied, “I will definitely be there on the day of Sena’s listing.”
Life at the Top Chapter 772
“Let’s toast to the successful listing of Sena tomorrow!”
Jameson was good at creating a celebratory atmosphere. In other words, he was extremely aware about some of the social norms of the upper-class in the United States.
Therefore, his behaviors and actions were all catered to please the people within these circles.
Everyone immediately reciprocated to his cues and prompts.
After all, with Jasper’s solid track record and Todd’s favoritism, most of them now wished to get their hands on some of Sena’s pre-IPO allocation.
Jasper was not stingy about this either.
He generously allocated another 10 million US dollars to each and every person that was present at the banquet.
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10 million US dollars was not a small sum of money to Jasper, but he did not have to worry about earning money when he was on Wall Street. This was an important investment to forge more amicable connections.
Although a total quota of 10 million US dollars did not sound like a lot, everyone knew that the share price would spike once Sena got listed. If they invested a total of a million US dollars right now, it was likely that it would soon rise to 5 or even 8 million US dollars not too long after.
Nobody would reject the opportunity to earn easy money.
These elites of Wall Street, who were close associates of Colossal Investments, showed a high amount of admiration for Jasper due to his sensible way of handling things.
The banquet then officially commenced, at which point everyone sought an opportunity to talk to Jasper. During the entire process, Jasper received a lot of business cards.
His 10 million US dollar investment had started to show its efficacy almost instantly.
Meanwhile, Jack and the others had started mingling around as well. They began making toasts with the elites from Wall Street.
Although these elites did not have much individual power on their own, the widespread effects brought about by their favor toward Sena were clear.
Jack and the others were beyond delighted to get acquainted with these elites.
Besides, Jack had once been a prestigious professional manager from Weresoft. He wouldn’t be out of place at a time like this.
In addition to the Wall Street elites that had been invited to this banquet, some senior leaders from Colossal Investments had attended the event as well.
The vice-president and two directors were at the banquet right now.
It was an event that was of a considerable scale.
Everyone treated Jasper with a high degree of friendliness and kindness except for one person.William.
Standing by the corner, William watched Jasper skillfully weave his way through the crowd with a heavy gaze. He had a stiff expression on his face due to his overwhelming jealousy.
Initially, he had intended to embarrass Jasper. He had even made a pact with a few of the elites whom he was close to, and they had planned to humiliate Jasper when the banquet commenced.
However, Jasper had easily resolved the incident at the entrance. The elites whom he was close to had long forgotten their agreement–they were currently thinking about the benefits that the pre-IPO allocation that they had just received would bring to them in the future.
“Fcking bstard, what a group of short-sighted country bumpkins!” William cursed under his breath harshly.
“Hey hey hey, come over here.”
Just as William was consumed by infuriation, the voice of a young man rang out.
It had been a long time since someone addressed him with a simple “hey”. William turned around and stared at the man with an icy gaze.
The man had despicable facial features that were characteristic of Somerland, and he seemed to be around Jasper’s age.
William identified this person’s name from the name list of Jasper’s accompanying executives. This man was Henry Law.
He heard that he was from the wealthy second generation in Somerland.
William’s lips curved in disdain.
What kind of wealthy second generation could come out from a backward country like Somerland?
He had to be a country bumpkin that did not even know how to drink coffee, but thought that he was a nobleman just because he possessed a small amount of money.
“I’m calling you. Why are you daydreaming?”
Henry frowned in distaste. Were the hotel attendants in New York all so stuck-up? He did not seem to pay their guests any heed although he was clearly calling out to him.
Clad in a business suit, William did not engage in conversation with anyone or eat anything; He simply stood stiffly by the corner. Therefore, Henry had mistaken him as a hotel attendant.
“What is it?” William asked, suppressing the blazing fury within him.
“Go and get me a cocktail. Occasions like these are really boring,” Henry said in an idle tone.
William finally got a grasp of the situation at hand. Did Henry Law mistake him for a hotel attendant?
Rage surged through him immediately as he pinned a frigid gaze upon Henry and asked, “Don’t you have legs? What do you take me for?”
Henry frowned. He was growing impatient.
“Do you want a tip?” Henry asked. He then pulled out a bill from his pocket and threw it at William. “Sure, today is my brother-in-law’s special day. I’d rather not hold a grudge against you. I’ve given you the tip. Go get me a cocktail at once,” he said.
“…”
William stared at the ten-dollar bill in his hands. He felt like entire being, from his body to his soul, was being greatly humiliated at that moment.
“I’m not a hotel attendant!” William said stonily while gritting his teeth.
“Why are you standing here if you aren’t a hotel attendant?” Henry asked as he stared straight at him with an odd glance. He frowned again. “Do you think that the tip is inadequate?” He asked.
His words caused William to burst out in a fit of anger. He stared at Henry impassively and said, “Take your damn money back, you f*cking Somerland monkey.”
Who was Henry Law?
As one of the top members of the wealthy second generation, others had to thank him for his mercy if he chose to spare them.
William’s indolent attitude already triggered Henry’s temper. If this occasion was not important to Jasper, Henry would have slapped him in the face right there and then.
As soon as William insulted him, an overcast expression formed on Henry’s face.
Henry, who preferred actions over words, picked up a piece of cake from the platter of food on the banquet table and smashed it into William’s face without saying a single word.
William did not expect Henry to spring into action straight away. He was taken aback by swift movements.
Right then, Henry, who was overwhelmed with fury, kicked him right in the stomach.
Although Henry was not a martial arts master like Julian, he was pretty close. He had learnt a few moves from him, and also went to the gym quite frequently. Therefore, it was impossible for William to stand up against him.
William shouted out loud as Henry kicked him. He then fell down and sprawled onto the ground.
The loud ruckus immediately attracted everyone’s attention.
Unlike in Somerland, the elites from Wall Street crowded around the scene and started watching them excitedly instead of showing fear or disgust when they caught sight of a physical scuffle.
Jasper made his way over as well.
“What’s wrong?” He asked.
Henry grinned widely at Jasper and said, “This idiot called me a Somerland monkey, so I wanted to create some entertainment for your banquet.”
Henry thought that Jasper would stop him, but he nodded instead. He glanced at William and said, “Do whatever you want, but don’t kill him.”
Life at the Top Chapter 773
With Jasper giving him the green light, Henry was instantly elated.
However, seeing as the rest of the guests had also been attracted by the commotion and had surrounded them, there was no way Henry could run over and deliver a few more kicks to William now.
As expected, a Vice President from Colossal Investments’ Headquarters soon walked over.
“Mr. Laine, Mr. Law, I believe that there must’ve been some sort of misunderstanding.”
The Vice President smiled wryly. He was infuriated by William’s foolish actions, but he had no other choice than to clean up his mess after him.
Others may not know who Henry was, but he sure did.
Thus, he knew that it was going to result in huge trouble the moment William, that imbecile, insulted Henry.
To some degree, the Vice President would much rather William have insulted Jasper instead of Henry.
Jasper looked at the Vice President calmly and spoke in a meaningful tone, “I see. So, the Vice President believes that William’s verbal attack and racist remarks to my partner were merely a misunderstanding, correct?”
In the United States, racial discrimination was a huge issue that was broadcasted loudly.
Hence, right after Jasper spoke, the expressions of the black people in the hall, as well as the white Vice President changed.
The black people looked at William distastefully, causing the Vice President to feel the urge to kick William twice more.
“Mr. Laine, Mr. Law, please believe me when I say that Colossal Investments will not allow any racist behavior or opinions. I’m sure Mr. William had accidentally misspoken.”
With that, the Vice President turned to look at William who had cake all over his face and was wearing an embarrassed and painful expression. “What are you waiting for? Apologize now!”
William suppressed the burning anger within him. He did not understand why he had to apologize when he was the one who had gotten hit.
However, under the Vice President’s demanding gaze, William bit his tongue. He knew apologizing was the only way to resolve this issue peacefully.
Apologizing to Henry was fine, he would treat it as an insignificant attack on his dignity.
However, he would much rather die than apologize to Jasper.
Rooted in place, William ignored the burning agony in his abdomen. He felt like a clown, one that everyone was currently laughing at.
All of this was Jasper’s fault!
William blamed Jasper for everything.
Taking a deep breath, William first apologized to Henry with a bow. While the latter sneered, William turned to Jasper.
“My apologies, Mr. Laine.”
Jasper took in William’s pitiful state and spoke calmly, “Now that I think about it, we’re old friends, aren’t we, Mr. William? If memory serves me right, you’ve always had something against me, haven’t you, Mr. William?”
William calmly replied, “Those are personal matters. They have nothing to do with what happened today.”
“Is that so?” Jasper chuckled, “And yet, I’ve heard that you tried to prevent Sena from going public through Colossal Investments, Mr. William.”
When he said this, all the guests’ looked intrigued.
Who would have thought that there was such a story behind today’s incident?
The Vice President’s expression changed as well and he hastily turned to Jasper, “No matter what, Mr. Laine, our partnership is going well now, isn’t it? I have faith that our partnership won’t deteriorate because of such external factors.”
Life at the Top Chapter 774
Jasper chuckled but neither agreed nor disagreed with the statement.
Capitalists were like vampires when it came to earning profits. They could shift from being an enemy to a friend for the sake of making a buck, but they were also just as likely to shift from a friend to become an enemy in the future.
That was why Jasper had kept Colossal Investments at a very specific distance from himself.
Not too far, but not too close either. Not too friendly, but also not too cold.
Essentially, they were both just using each other.
Their relationship was currently in its honeymoon phase, and Jasper wanted to make William’s life difficult during this period. However, he made sure not to go too far.
“You’re very right, but I do think that Colossal Investments should also reconsider whether some people are suited for their positions within the company or not. Mr. William, for example, should truly be reconsidered, considering our partnership almost ended because of him.”
Playvolume00:00/00:00TruvidfullScreenJasper’s words had the Vice President deep in thought as he repeatedly looked over at William.
William’s eyes grew red in infuriation. He did not expect Jasper to bring up past incidents during such an event and rat on him in front of the investment company’s senior executives.
Seeing how the situation was turning against him, William let go of all his inhibitions and fought back.
“What’s the point of saying all this, Jasper? You can say what you want, but it won’t change the fact that Celine has taken the blame for you. Do you really think that Sena would be getting listed so easily if not for Celine?”
Jasper replied indifferently, “I think you forgot something very important here. The only reason I came to Colossal was because of my connections with Celine. I believed that both her business prowess and other strengths could help Sena go public as quickly as possible.
“That’s why I came to Colossal. Not because of how powerful Colossal was, but because Celine was in Colossal. I could’ve gone for Merlene or Layman if all I needed was a company that could sell Sena’s shares and help Sena go public on the Nasdaq.”
William scoffed. WIping the cake off his face, he did not hold back at all. “Stop making it sound so professional. Nobody knows if you and Celine have had any secret deals behind our backs.”
Jasper’s expression immediately grew cold when he heard that.
Integrity was much more important in the financial industry as compared to any other.
Tens of millions passed through the industry’s hands every minute, and the moment you were suspected of corruption, it would become a black mark on that person’s record forever.
That person could be exceptionally talented, but they would not be valued after they were marked.
From what Jasper could see, William was merely using this chance to defame Celine.
There was no way he would let such a thing happen.
“Celine and my relationship is purely professional, and she has only discussed the partnership with me on behalf of Colossal Investments. Please provide evidence if you claim that there has been any secret deal between the two of us, or I will lodge a complaint to Colossal about your acts of defamation and exercise my right to sue you.”
The appropriate solution varied depending on the circumstance. The financial industry was filled with elites, and Jasper could not counter William’s verbal garbage with brute force.
Formal complaints and legal proceedings, however, were the perfect solution.
As expected, the guests all nodded at Jasper’s determined words.
Even so, William scoffed at the sight of this and replied, “Colossal Investments is currently reviewing Celine. How else would you explain her disappearance over the past few days? It’s because she can’t come at all! The case is solid. She wouldn’t be undergoing investigation if you two hadn’t done anything illegal!’
As his words fell, everyone felt an immediate shift in Jasper’s aura.
It was as if anger had been brewing under the man’s gentle facade the entire time, and it was all exploding now.
“What did you say?!”
Life at the Top Chapter 775
William sneered at the sight of Jasper’s stormy expression. “What, are you still pretending not to know anything at al?
“Stop acting already, there’s no way you wouldn’t know about Celine being under review. Are you telling me that you haven’t realized any abnormalities at all? Or did Celine just not tell you anything?”
Scoffing, William stared at Jasper coldly. He acted as if he had just caught a thief red-handed and was looking down at Jasper with disdain.
“If you had the guts to collude with Celine from the outside, then why don’t you have the guts to admit it?
“Though I have to say, I’m impressed. I’d like to know how you managed to get Celine to be so loyal to you. She values her career more than she values her life, and yet, she’s willing to put her entire career on the line for you.
“What a shame, it’s over for her now.”
With that, William sneered at Jasper disdainfully and spoke, “Congratulations to you though, now you’re successful and famous. All the benefits go to you, and you don’t even need to take responsibility for anything.”
Jasper remained calm as he listened to William speak, his mind filling with memories of Celine’s unusual behavior as of late.
While Celine had maintained her shy and peculiar personality as always in front of him, Jasper had long felt that something was off.
Jasper did not think too much back then, for he believed what Celine had told him about her being busy helping Sena go public.
However, now that he heard William’s words, this, coupled with Celine’s unusual behavior, caused a clear idea to appear in Jasper’s mind.
“I need to see Colossal Investment’s President, Mr. Paulson, right now,” Jasper told the Vice President.
He completely ignored William, who was still speaking. That man played an insignificant role in all this, and all Jasper wanted to do now was understand what was happening. Then he would leave it to Celine to decide her fate.
The Vice President looked hesitant and replied, “According to our schedule, you and the President are set to meet at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. I don’t know if the President is free if you wish to change the time so suddenly…”
Jasper ignored his explanation and spoke solemnly, “Mr. Vice President, I hope you understand that this meeting will affect whether Sena will continue to work with Colossal Investments or not.”
The Vice President’s expression froze instantly. This was no longer something he could decide, so he quickly replied, “I’ll contact the President now and schedule a meeting as soon as possible.”
Then he left in a hurry.
Witnessing the scene, William could not help but sneer now that he had let go of all his inhibitions.
“You’re telling me you don’t know anything at all, Jasper?”
“What a stupid woman Celine is, haha. I can’t believe this fool actually managed to fight against me for a couple of years. A miracle, really.”
Jasper looked at William coldly. “Celine and I are innocent. You can search and investigate as much as you wish, but you’re not going to find anything.”
William chortled. “What a pair of partners in crime. That’s what Celine said too, but how do you two explain the 20% discount in commission fee Celine gave you, hmm?”
Jasper replied calmly. “That’s a decision she made with her own authority. Why does anyone have to explain this?”
William scoffed. “Looks like you really don’t understand. Allow me to explain, then.”
Life at the Top Chapter 776
“It’s true that as the general manager of the Terra regional branch of Colossal Investments, she has the right to lower your commission fee. However, this is also money that Colossal should receive, so she needs to provide a reasonable excuse for such a decision. One that neither she, nor you, has provided thus far.
“That alone is enough to screw her over!
William’s expression was wretched and twisted with delight, as if nothing sparked more joy in him than seeing Celine and Jasper in trouble.
At that moment, the Vice President returned and told Jasper, “The President’s willing to see you. Do you want to go over now?”
Jasper nodded. Instructing Jack to entertain the guests present properly, Jasper then followed the Vice President away.
Standing amidst the group of people, William stared sinisterly at Jasper’s disappearing figure and sneered.
The sneer was still on his face when a hand came to slap him right on his forehead.
Playvolume00:00/00:00TruvidfullScreen“What the fck are you smiling at, looking so ugly and vile. Laugh again and I’ll slap your teeth out, is that what you want? Fck right off, you disgust me.”
…
Colossal Investment Headquarters in Wall Street was not too far from the hotel that Jasper was staying in, being only two blocks away.
Following the Vice President in, Jasper took the designated elevator after alighting the car and arrived at the top floor.
In a luxurious-looking office, Jasper saw the head of the global economic and financial industry—Wharton Paulson.
Despite being pass the age of sixty, Paulson still looked full of vigor while his eyes shone as if he could read minds.
Jasper was greeted exceptionally respectfully when he entered through the doors, with Paulson standing up and walking over from his office desk. He reached out and shook Jasper’s hand. “Hello, Laine. It’s nice to finally meet you.”
No matter how you looked at it, Jasper did not hold a candle to Paulson’s glory and capabilities. Thus, he was rather shocked by Paulson’s politeness.
Jasper shook Paulson’s hand and spoke, “You’ve heard of me, Mr. Paulson?”
Paulson invited Jasper to sit on the sofa in the meeting area and spoke with a smile, “I’ve been watching the Somerland stockmarket all this while. I thought that the western economy had reached a bottleneck after the year 2000 and that it would no longer be the center of the world’s economic development like it was a few decades ago. I personally believe that Somerland was more qualified to take on such an important responsibility instead.”
Jasper was shocked by Paulson’s foresight, as reality would indeed unfurl as he had predicted. Somerland’s position in the world’s structure would also grow more important, while its economic development would also account for a greater percentage of worldwide growth.
However, neither of these were reasons behind why Jasper had come to see him today.
“Mr. Paulson, while I very much wish to continue exchanging views and opinions on the world’s future, please forgive me, as I have come today to speak about Celine Maynard instead,” Jasper spoke straightforwardly.
Paulson gave a small smile and replied, “I knew that you’d come to speak to me about this. But do not worry, Colossal Investments is not some violent hoodlum agency. A probity review is merely an investigation whereby we inquire about the reviewee’s previous work.
“Thus, Miss Maynard is very much alright now. Should you find it necessary, you are welcome to meet her at anytime.”
“But before we start, Laine, would you like some tea or coffee? I believe we should talk.”
“Tea, please. Thank you.”
Life at the Top Chapter 777
After the secretary brought two cups of tea over, Jasper spoke, “Mr. Paulson, I’d like to know how Colossal views Celine.”
Paulson chuckled and spoke, “Before I tell you that, I’d like to know how you view Celine.’
Jasper arched his brow slightly and replied, “She is my friend. When it comes to our working relationship, she has capabilities that others could only wish to possess, and thus, is able to save a lot of my time. In terms of our private life, she has a very unique personality and charisma, and I am fortunate to call her my friend.”
Paulson nodded. Leaning against the sofa, he replied, “That’s a great answer. Honestly, I think I’m starting to envy you for having such a great friend. But Laine, you have to understand that the investment industry is very different from other industries.
“I encourage my employees to be friends with their clients, but they can only be friends professionally. The moment a client oversteps what we consider a normal friendship, it becomes a problem for both the investment company and the employee themself.”
Jasper replied calmly, “I understand the investment industry has its own rules of survival. But don’t you think it’s a bit too much to suspect Celine, who had just brought the investment company such a huge business deal, Mr. Paulson?”
“It’s a necessary review. You have to understand that Colossal has its reasons too. Firstly, the biggest issue now is that neither you nor Celine can explain the reason behind the reduction in 20commission fee.
“There are clearly stated regulations within Colossal Investments. Someone in as high a position as Celine does indeed have the authority to reduce commission fee, and her limit coincidentally happens to be 20%… however, while she does have the authority to do so, it is also crucial she provides us a reasonable explanation when she does.
“She has to explain why she did it, and what benefits her action will bring the company. The truth now is that she cannot come up with a reasonable explanation for the 20% discount, so an internal review has to be conducted.”
Jasper’s mind went back to that night, of how Celine reminded her of a stubborn girl who wanted the pair of high heels in the showcase window. He could not possibly tell Colossal that Celine had given him a 20% decrease in commission fees because he had broken the glass and gotten Celine the pair of heels she wanted.
“You might not know this, Laine, but when a senior executive objected to her plan of helping Sena go public, Celine had promised me that she was willing to accept any investigation as long as the plan went through as stated.
“Moreover, she has also promised to resign immediately and compensate the Colossal three times the commission fee if Sena did not meet an IPO of 100 US Dollars.”
Jasper shot to his feet at Paulson’s words.
“Has she gone mad?” Jasper spoke angrily.
Jasper never had to cooperate with Colossal Investments, for they were not the only option available to him. There were other investment companies like Layman and Merlene elsewhere.
Jasper would never have agreed to work with these people if he knew that Celine had paid such a high price just to keep the deal going.
Jasper felt a nameless fury fester within him as he thought back to how carefree Celine had acted with him these days. She acted like nothing was wrong, despite the immense pressure she was under.
Jasper could still accept it if Celine was under review because of the 20% decrease in commission fees. However, if William was the one who was causing the problem that resulted in Celine paying such a high price and betting her entire professional career, then this was something Jasper could not accept.
He was both angry and frustrated.
Angry at himself for not knowing about this earlier, and frustrated at Celine for making her own decisions without first informing him.
Life at the Top Chapter 778
“Looks like you really don’t know about this. You’re not the only one who thinks she’s gone mad. I do too.” Paulson sighed and spoke, “More than her superior, I was also her uncle who brought her up. Her father and I have known each other for decades–we’re best friends.
“But I’ve never seen her make such a huge gamble before.”
Paulson looked at Jasper intently and continued. “That’s why I want to know what you plan on doing next.”
Jasper immediately quelled the flames within him. After a short moment of thought, he came up with a response.
“Mr. Paulson, I would like Colossal Investments to immediately end all investigations on Celine, and make William, the President of Terra regional branch, pay instead. Otherwise, Sena will unilaterally apply to the Nasdaq Review Committee and decline on going public.”
When he heard this, Paulson’s expression darkened.
He looked at Jasper and spoke angrily, “That isn’t a very smart decision, Laine. Are you threatening me? You have to know that doing so will put Colossal in a very embarrassing position. Sena will also lose a great chance to go public and you will have to repay those who had already bought shares through the pre-IPO allocation. You’ll also have to repay Colossal for a breach of contract!
“I’m sure a smart businessman would not make such a bad deal.”
Jasper replied calmly, “President Paulson, I am indeed a businessman, but more than that, I am a man. While every businessman does indeed weigh the pros and cons before every decision, a man does not care too much about such things when making a decision.”
Paulson heard the change in how Jasper was referring to himself and stared at the other party seriously. “Is that your final decision?”
Jasper nodded. “I won’t compromise!”
“Still, you have to know that Celine loves her career more than anything else. Sure, you’re free to look for another investment company if the relationship between Colossal and Sena goes cold. After all, all you lose is time and money.”
“But what about Celine? Not only will Colossal have to fire her after this, but other investment companies won’t employ her either. Have you not thought about that?”
Jasper frowned slightly at Paulson’s words.
With a victorious smile, Paulson took a hot sip of tea. The man before him was outstanding, but he was too young to be a match for him.
“Worse comes to worst, I’ll just open a bank and have Celine work for me,” Jasper suddenly looked up to tell Paulson.
Paulson froze mid-sip. After a long while, his eyes widened as he looked at Jasper who oozed with dominance and spoke, “Do you know how difficult it is to open a bank? Not only will you need hefty capital to sustain it, but you’ll need contacts and a constant flow of business. Especially in Somerland, I don’t think Somerland allows private banks.”
Jasper spoke calmly, “Allow me to repeat myself, President Paulson, my only problem now is the fact that Celine is under review.”
Paulson’s caressed the corner of the hot teacup. After a long while, he replied slowly, “I can immediately end Celine’s investigation, but you must promise that Sena will reach a price of at least 120 US Dollars. Or I will not be able to explain myself to the board of directors.
“As for William, if Sean’s share price is high enough, Celine’s capabilities will be on display to everybody, at which point it will be very possible for her to assume the position of President of the Terra regional branch. However, as I said, the condition here is that Sena’s share price has to reach at least 120 US Dollars!”
Life at the Top Chapter 779
Walking out of Colossal Investments Headquarters, Jasper’s mind echoed with the words Paulson had said before he left.
“There are no emotions here in Wall Street, nor do we care about who’s right or wrong. The only thing that separates me from my enemy are benefits.
“Whoever brings me benefits is a friend, and everyone else is my enemy.”
Jasper admitted that Paulson’s words had affected him deeply.
This was the cruel reality of a capitalist market. Without experiencing it first-hand, one would never understand how bloody the rules of the games are.
Take his partnership with Colossal Investments for example. In a short conversation, they had already decided who would assume the position of the President of the Terra regional branch.
Should Jasper truly manage to reach an IPO of 120 US Dollars for Sena, then he would have successfully proven his benefits and worth to Colossal Investments.
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Colossal Investments would only toss William out if a happy partnership with Jasper mattered more to them.
Firing the President of the Terra regional branch to gain Jasper’s trust and friendship was a very good bargain.
However, the premise was that Jasper had to prove his worth.
Sena’s share price would be the quickest and most direct way to do this.
If he failed, Colossal Investments would not pay Jasper or Celine another glance.
This had nothing to do with who was right or wrong. This was a relationship purely comprised solely of monetary benefits.
The person who brought the larger cut of profits would be their friend.
After all this, the banquet was over by the time Jasper returned to the hotel.
Jasper did not know where Henry had gone to. However, he was not worried that this top-notch Harbor City trust-fund child would get into any trouble while out on a date in New York, so Jasper let him do as he pleased.
After conversing with Jack and coming to the conclusion that it was extremely difficult to push Sena’s share price to 120 US Dollars, Celine arrived whilst seeking out Jasper just as they were about to formulate a plan.
Jasper returned to his room and poured Celine a cup of milk with practiced ease. Then he looked her over, “Not bad, very beautiful.”
Celine was in a white chiffon tight-fitting dress while an exquisite red belt wrapped around her waist. The simple outfit spoke volumes of the wearer’s excellent style.
Celine grabbed the milk and stared straight at Jasper.
“So, you went to look for Paulson?”
Jasper nodded.
“So you know everything now?”
Jasper continued to nod.
“And you also promised Paulson that the share price will reach 120 US Dollars?”
Jasper also nodded.
Celine suddenly spoke disappointedly, “Are you crazy? Do you know how difficult it is for a new stock to surpass a price of 120 US Dollars? No company’s ever produced such a result after the dot-com bubble burst.”
Life at the Top Chapter 780
“Am I crazy?” Jasper’s eyes widened as he looked at Celine and spoke, “You’re the crazy one here. Why didn’t you tell me anything?”
Celine lifted her hand to tuck the stray wisps of hair behind her ear as she replied, “It’s my business. Why do I have to tell you what I do?”
Jasper replied calmly. “In that case, my promise with Paulson is also my business, and I don’t have to explain it to you, yes?”
“You!” Celine’s eyes widened as she glared at him, infuriated by Jasper’s words.
The next second, however, the woman’s eyes shifted and she smiled secretly, “You’re actually planning to provide for me? Why else would you go through all that just to get me out of the investigation?”
“I just don’t want you to get involved in other matters because of me, especially when I’m certain that nothing is going on between us. I don’t make it a habit to sit and watch as someone else gets blamed for something they didn’t do.”
“Moreover, if you can tell Colossal Investment’s board of directors that you’ll resign and pay thrice the value of the commission if Sena doesn’t meet an IPO price of 100 US Dollars, then what’s stopping me from raising it to 120 US Dollars?”
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Jasper looked at Celine seriously and spoke, “You have to trust me and Sena. 100 US Dollars to 120 US Dollars isn’t that big of a difference.”
“In that case, what are you planning on doing next?” Celine asked.
“Advertise it, what else? I have to try and tell all the investors within the United States that Sena is a share that they will definitely profit from. If I don’t you’ll lose your job, and I’ll lose both my reputation and my dignity,” Jasper spoke with a shrug.
Celine furrowed her brows as the cheerful look that she always wore vanished.
She was thinking of a plan that would greatly raise Sena’s share prices.
“To be honest, it’s all the same for me regardless of if this promise existed or not,” Jasper looked at Celine as he spoke.
“The higher Sena’s share price, the more I benefit. The only difference is that I didn’t have a specific target before, but I have one now. Anything less than 120 US Dollars is a failure, so even without this deal, my goal will still be to bring Sena up as much as I can.’
“But this target is too unattainable.” Celine frowned.
“Not really,” Jasper chuckled, “I’ll just have to spend a bit of money. We’ll do advertisements in television stations throughout the United States, then interview a few stock market experts and advertise it in financial magazines. What we need to do is sweep this information through the United States as fast as possible.
“All United States investors will be able to do is see and hear of Sena for the next couple of days.
“Couple this with the titles Sena holds, ‘the first Somerland internet company that’ll officially registered in the Nasdaq’, and ‘the first truly profitable internet company in the world’. What we need to do is tell the investors that a great way to earn money is standing right before their eyes.”
Celine’s expression lightened slightly at Jasper’s words.
She sighed and spoke, “That’s the only thing we can do now anyway. I’ll think of another plan. I do have some contacts here in the United States.”
“Thank you, then,” Jasper spoke.
Both he and Sena were considered foreigners here in the United States. Forget contacts, they would not be able to get anywhere if not for Colossal Investments.
Thus, these were things that only Celine could do.
The corner of Celine’s lips lifted upward, and a light and familiar smile graced her lips. “Paulson told me that you threatened the entirety of Colossal Investments for me. Do you know what you’re doing? That’s a financial behemoth we’re talking about here. The best investment company in the world. How could you just threaten them?”
“And yet, reality shows that it still works on them.” Jasper smiled.
“You also claimed, very dominantly, that you’d open a bank for me to work in if I resigned from Colossal?” Celine leaned over, with her four limbs on the couch as she pushed her small face right in front of Jasper’s.
Because of her position, Jasper only needed to tilt his head and he would see her collar exposed before his eyes.